I only use this as a means to illustrate my question: Some would argue U.S. banking culture rewards sociopathic behavior, in which case, being a sociopath enhances your social standing (ignoring that sociopathic behavior generally includes seeking dominant social roles/vantages). So I wonder, was there ever a time, culture, or time within a culture that current socially damning disorders were more acceptable? Issues like bipolar disorder or schizophrenia (feel free to explore beyond those examples).
I know that in Russia up to about the 18th century there was a type of people called "юродивые", or "God's fools" (pronounced yurodivye). These people were supposed to deny earthly comforts and completely humiliate themselves in front of Christ: "for example, some fools-for Christ considered themselves free from even the most elementary commitments to human society, from its manners and morals". They often wandered around dirty, naked or in rags, prostrating themselves on the ground, speaking in tongues, etc. The "God's fools" lived off of the acceptance of the communities which furnished their meager needs. They were valued in the community because they had "given their lives to God", and some were even seen as prophets and healers.
The most famous "God's fool" is Vasiliy Blazhennyi, or St. Vasiliy the Blessed. Legend has it that he is the only man Ivan the Terrible ever feared. The colorful cathedral in the Red Square, one of the most easily recognizable symbols of Russia, is named after him.
I suppose one could argue that there was nothing intrinsically wrong with these people, that they were just another ascetic product of religious fervor like the flagellants in Europe. Also, people's odd tendencies back then were not classified into disorders, so pre-modern historical sources tend to be ambiguous on the subject of sanity. However, the word "юродивый" acquired a strong connotation of mental disability as it passed through the centuries, which implies that at least some of these people were what you might call today severely autistic, schizophrenic, or otherwise mentally ill.
Besides previous knowledge, this article is the most thorough source I could find. It should be taken with a grain of salt as it is the Orthodox Church's view on the matter, but it does a good job of describing the behaviors of some of these people, from which you can draw your own conclusions.
Yes, I remember from a breathtakingly informative trip to the Mexican Anthropological museum in DF/Mexico City that in many pre-Columbian cultures in Central America disorders were the farthest thing from being looked upon. In fact, there was the strong belief that those born with natural defects like crooked arms or misshapen heads were touched by the gods and such individuals were treated with great amounts of both reverence and respect and many would become political or spiritual leaders as a result.